1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fiber-optic communication systems and more specifically it relates to an optical fiber tracing system for efficiently tracing one or more optical fibers within a fiber-optic communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Optical fibers are used in fiber-optic communication systems to transmit information over significant distances using pulses of light that pass through the optical fibers. Information transferred over a conventional fiber-optic communications system includes but is not limited to telephone signals, Internet, electronic mail, television signals, images and the like. In a conventional fiber-optic communication system, each of the distal ends of an optical fiber are connected to a port within a corresponding patch panel where the signal may be converted to an electrical signal or directed to another optical fiber. A typical patch panel will have up to 144 different ports available for connection so when connecting two patch panels together there can be up to 20,736 different possible pairs which are connected. With this significant number of ports and pairing combinations, it can take a long time to determine which two ports in different patch panels are connected by a single optical fiber.
While fiber-optic communication systems have significant advantages over wire communication systems, it can be difficult to locate a specific optical fiber or group of optical fibers. Conventional tracing technology uses a tracer light that illuminates one end of the optical fiber in a first patch panel and then the light can be detected at the opposite end in a second patch panel. Hence, conventional tracing technology allows for location of only the termination points of the optical fiber.
One problem with the conventional tracing technology is that it does not provide a means for tracing the entire path of the optical fiber. Another problem with the conventional tracing technology is that it does not provide a means for locating the optical fiber in a fiber duct. A further problem with conventional tracing technology is that it can be difficult to identify the two ports interconnected by an optical fiber. Another problem with the conventional tracing technology is that it can be difficult to use when the patch panels are closed.
Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a new and improved optical fiber tracing system for efficiently tracing one or more optical fibers within a fiber-optic communication system.